Tag, You’re It
In an announcement that surprised nobody after months of rumours, Apple has finally revealed its near-mythical AirTags. According to Apple, the AirTag is a continuation of the “Find My” ecosystem, ensuring that even the most forgetful of us can find our prized possessions. Whatever you have a habit of losing, whether it’s your keys, your bag or even your wallet, an AirTag makes finding it simpler than ever, which is always what we like. They can even be engraved and customised, for a more personal touch. How does it work you ask? Apple states that once it is set up, it will be visible in the “Find My App” which will show you exactly where your AirTagged item is (we’re coining that word) or its last known whereabouts. If your item is close by and within your device’s Bluetooth range, you can activate a sound on the AirTag to help locate it. AirTags also include a U1 Chip made by Apple that includes a nifty little feature called Precision Finding. Expect searching for your lost item to be more precise than ever as Precision Finding will utilise input from your camera, accelerometer and gyroscope which in simpler terms, allows you to easily find a lost item with an AirTag on it.
For those times when your item is out of range, you can expect assistance from the Find My Network. All you have to do is simply put your AirTag into Lost Mode, in which you’ll receive a notification once your item has been located by the network or is back in range. If a good samaritan happens to come across your AirTagged item, they can tap it with their iPhone or even another device with NFC, which will open a webpage with your contact details if you have provided them. If you can’t help but lose everything in your life, an AirTag is a necessary investment we must say.
For The Podcasters
It seems that every Tom, Dick and Harry now has a podcast, with practically every topic covered. It’s definitely no secret just how popular podcasts have become, and Apple looks to make the scene even better by offering its Podcasts Subscriptions, which are loaded (pun intended) with a variety of bonuses such as exclusive access to special content, early access plus freedom from pesky advertisements. It’s a great initiative for podcast creators, which in turn leads to the creation of even better content, all for only $27.99 per year! So if you want your favourite podcast to keep delivering the goods, Apple’s subscription is how you keep the makers happy.
Pretty in Purple
Apple’s products have always been a masterclass of design and elegance, with the iPhone 12 certainly being no exception. For those of you that haven’t embraced the advanced simplicity of the iPhone 12, Apple will be releasing its iconic device in a mesmerizing purple colour that’ll definitely turn heads wherever you take it. Sure, it may not be a new device but seriously, can you resist that gorgeous purple colour? It’ll be available on the 30th of April, with the colour exclusively for the iPhone 12 and iPhone 12 Mini.
4K The Win
Apple doesn’t just want to dominate the palms of your hands, it also wants to dominate your living room, and with the reveal of the next-generation Apple TV 4K, it’s certainly more than welcome to do so. This year’s iteration of Apple TV brings an innovative remote that includes a clickpad input, offering precise and convenient movements when you are flicking through dozens of shows, unable to make a decision on what to watch. There’s the famed A12 Bionic chip included, alongside a silky smooth 60 frames per second and HDR for lifelike movement plus eye-popping colours that may make you forget there is a screen in front of you. It’s the definitive way to enjoy Apple TV or should we say TV in general.
Return of The Mac
Apple has announced a new MacBo… wait, stop right there. It is not a MacBook that Apple has announced it's… an iMac! With many working from home these days, it seems like the perfect time for Apple’s new iMac to shine. There’s a powerful M11 chip at play here that makes strenuous tasks easier than ever, combined with a 24-inch Retina display that houses an insane 11.3 million pixels alongside a billion colours. Our eyes are watering just by writing this we have to admit! It doesn’t just stop there, as there is a Full HD FaceTime camera for crystal clear video meetings and a monstrous six-speaker sound system for crystal clear tunes and whatever else you intend to subject your speakers to. For added security, Touch ID makes its debut on iMac as well, for logging in and even for purchases. Expect multitasking like never before at a price of RRP A$1899 for the 7-core GPU version and RRP A$2199 for the 8-core version, available to order on the 30th of April.
iPad: Fully Loaded
We all applauded Apple for bundling the iPhone 12 with 5G support, and now we’re ecstatic to see that the new iPad Pro is 5G compatible as well! Apart from delivering insanely quick download speeds, the new iPad Pro has quite a lot to offer this year, ranging from a gorgeous 12.9-inch XDR Retina display that shines with up to 1000 nits of brightness, an M1 chip that will allow you to easily run multiple CPU-intensive applications whether it’s your favourite game or video editing software fluidly and efficiently, plus up to 16GB of RAM available. Up to 2TB of storage will also be offered, alongside battery life that’s more than fit to take you through the day. There’s even USB 4 and Thunderbolt support included as well, for an iPad that’s more resourceful and versatile than ever before. If you’re the type of person that heavily relies on their iPad for video calls and conferences, the 12MP Ultra-Wide front camera will be right up your alley, with the machine learning abilities of the M1 chip recognising users in the video and keeping them centered. The new iPad Pro certainly looks set to revolutionise video conferences in 2021, alongside a whole lot of other things!
So there you go, another Apple conference loaded with a whole lot of surprises that show why Apple is and always will be a pioneer in innovation. As cliched as it may sound, 2021 is hopefully looking set to be a better year, and for everything to do with Apple, stay tuned to our Smart Blogs!
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